BUSINESSES across the region are gearing up to weather another lockdown.

Traders have once again been forced to shut their doors or adapt to a change in the way they operate.

The new lockdown rules began today (Thursday) and will continue until December 2.

In a bid to crack down on rising coronavirus cases, non-essential shops have shut, and pubs, restaurants and bars are limited to offering a takeaway service.

The Hummingbird Cafe in Dursley will not be operating through the lockdown, but the staff are refusing to let the second lockdown give them the blues - in fact they all dressed up as super heroes for their final shifts (see photo).

Suzi Abraham, who runs the café, said that although it will be closed through the lockdown, and the staff have been furloughed, she feels more positive about the future this time round.

“We are relieved as we will be furloughed and there is a small grant to help us through. The other thing that helps is knowing that our customers will return. They have been so supportive since March, so we know they will come back.”

Caroline Marrow, who runs Inches fabric store in Dursley, will not be opening her business either throughout November, said she is looking forward to a well earned rest.

“I’m not set up for online sales so I am actually looking forward to four week’s holiday staycation, because I was organising the scrub hub and a team of 68 sewists and six delivery drivers last lockdown.

“I’ve only has five days off since last February so I am planning on making everyone’s Christmas presents and sort out the corners of the house which I never get around to.”

Ellie Sainty, owner of the Old Spot in Dursley, said that although sales of takeaway beer are now permitted, there are extra restrictions in place for pubs that offer the service.

She said: “We can only take phone, website or email orders in advance, and orders can only be collected outside of pub premises, as no one can enter the pub.

“Monitoring the phones and internet with all our staff furloughed is going to be more difficult to administer, so as this lockdown is hopefully only a month, we won’t be doing the takeaway service this time.”

Peter Tiley, landlord at the Salutation Inn near Berkeley, said: “We’re going to continue with our home delivery service for bag-in-box beer from our brewery, as well as bottles and cans and a selection of top artisan cheeses.

“We had kept the delivery service going even whilst the pub was open for those that preferred to stay at home, but we’re now extending it from one delivery day a week to three days.

“If we didn’t have a brewery full of beer I would have been tempted to furlough all the staff, but as the delivery service isn’t massively profitable but we can’t afford to throw all that stock down the drain.”

To order beer from the Salutation Inn visit sallyathome.selz.com/